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To Help Fishermen, Ros-Lehtinen Sends Letters Asking For An Extension of The 40 Day Red Snapper Season Due To Storms In The Gulf & Also Urges The Natural Resources Committee To Take Legislative Action To Reform Flawed Fisheries Management Laws

Washington, DC – To help struggling commercial fishermen as well as over regulated charter and recreational fishermen, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) joined several of her Congressional colleagues in sending letters that would help fishing communities that have been severely impacted by excess government regulations and the anemic economic recovery.

Ros-Lehtinen and other colleagues from coastal Districts asked the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council to extend the current 40 day Red Snapper season until the end of July to make up for the shorter season caused by Tropical Storm Debby and other possible storms in the near future. Due to the inclement weather, fishermen could be left with a season that is 75% shorter than the already woefully short 40 day season.

Ileana also joined other members of Congress representing coastal Districts in asking the Natural Resources Committee to take legislative action on reforming the flawed Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Management Act. The reforms to this law would rebuild and conserve fish stocks but not at the expense of fishermen. Local fishermen are hurting because of federal fisheries laws that are being poorly implemented.

Said Ros-Lehtinen, “I have always believed in the mantra that government is here to help its citizens, not overburden them with needless regulations and place limits on their livelihoods. This is why I, along with colleagues who represent fishing communities across the nation, are undertaking this bipartisan effort to help our fishermen. The weak economy has already battered them enough, and all they ask is to let the government let them do their job. My colleagues and I enthusiastically and strongly support them.”